Strategy #5 Tell Your Story

Last week I told you that if you give people the opportunity to tell their story, and if you patiently listen without trying to cut in, correct, or insert yourself, they will typically give you even more time to tell your story.

But what do you say when its your turn to talk?

Once you listen to the other person’s story, they will typically ask you to tell your story.

If they don’t you can ask to tell your story:

“Would you like to hear why I am a Christian?

“Can I tell you my point of view?”

“Can I tell you what I believe about Jesus?”

The apostle Paul certainly told his story:

Philippians 3:4–10 ESV

4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

But if we are going to ask to tell our story, we have to be prepared to tell our story.

We can’t be just good listeners. We have to be story tellers as well.

What is your story?

We are trying to get past the typical dry “testimony” that we typically give (i.e. “I was saved when I was young, but I didn’t take my faith seriously but now I do.”)

People are not looking for an opportunity to sign up for a religion; they are looking for something to change their life.

We often evangelize as if we have a clipboard in our hand and we are eager to sign them up. Instead, we should show people evidence of the life changing power of Jesus. Our story should inadvertently be saying, “Jesus changed and fulfilled my life; He can change and fulfill your’s too!”

What is your real story?

This is the story that tells who you were, who you became in Christ, and who you are now.

How do you tell your story?

Think of your story like an essay:

Introduction:

In the introduction you are describing who you are and what drives you.

You are answering the questions:

Who am I?

What is my mission?

What drives me?

What fulfills me?

You are also going to give examples that illustrate who you are.

Body:

In the body of your story, you are describing how you tried to achieve your mission, how that didn’t work out or make you happy, how you realized that Jesus was what you were looking for, and how you gave your life to Christ.

Give examples of how you tried to achieve your mission on your own.

Show the rising unresolved tension of how your idea of who you are and what your mission is did not satisfy you.

Present the “Ah-ha” moment where you realized that it was Jesus that you were looking for.

Explain when and how you gave your life to Christ

This can be sudden or gradual

This is where we have found God’s answer to our mission

This is where we see how God satisfies our drive

Conclusion:

In the conclusion you describe what your new life with Christ looks like.

Contrast the freedom you now have in Christ with the weight you had before of having to try and fulfill your mission on your own